XVII PanAmerican Games - Toronto 2015

[Taller, Better]

OUCH. Maybe time to put the brakes on this sucker.

[LEAFS FANATIC]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

No one outside of NA will be watching, either. We just got finished pretending the Winter Olympics were as big a deal as the Summer Olympics, and now are left to count up all the bills and figure out how much it all cost.

Truth is, not too many people within the Americas will be watching either....

[Taller, Better]

I'm no sports fan, but I don't recall watching the Pan Am Games since I was young and they were in Winnipeg.

[Mollywood]

Is there anybody out there, who actually thought the reported cost of the games, was the real cost? If so, they don't read newspapers. EVERY Olympics and Pan-AM Games have had their costs grossly under estimated by the organizing committees. Not only that but much of the costs are hidden in government budgets. The truth is, we never know how much the real cost is because it's kept hidden from the general public. We always find out the costs have gone way up but there are still costs that we never see. The organizers and government both know this. I just wish they would be honest with the public and tell the truth. We should know what we're paying for and what the total cost is. But of course, many people make big bucks from games like these, so it will keep on happening.

I just hope we get some nice public spaces and amenities from all the expenditure. A new streetcar line along Queen's Quay East, would be nice.

It could turn out to be a nice 2 week PARTY! Bring on those free concerts and shows.

[AndrewJM3D]

Originally Posted by Taller, Better

I'm no sports fan, but I don't recall watching the Pan Am Games since I was young and they were in Winnipeg.

I just had to google it, it was only 12 years ago and I have no memory of it.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by AndrewJM3D

I just had to google it, it was only 12 years ago and I have no memory of it.

That was the second time. First time in Winnipeg was back in 1967. This might wind up being some very expensive swimming pools.

[AndrewJM3D]

Is it too late to trade in the Pan-Am Games for something better like the Worlds Fair? Even the activists seem not to care about it.

[koolio]

There will be massive outrage from the rest of the Americas if we abandon the Pan Am games. For better or for worse, we are hosting it and we have to host it with a certain amount of respect and dignity. Unfortunately I think we have already failed with regards to the second part considering how the athletic stadium debacle is still unresolved. We may treat the Pan Am games as a third rate event but these games are well respected amongst many Central and South American nations.

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by koolio

There will be massive outrage from the rest of the Americas if we abandon the Pan Am games. For better or for worse, we are hosting it and we have to host it with a certain amount of respect and dignity. Unfortunately I think we have already failed with regards to the second part considering how the athletic stadium debacle is still unresolved. We may treat the Pan Am games as a third rate event but these games are well respected amongst many Central and South American nations.

I would much rather see a World's Fair in Toronto. I love them. Hopefully, one day we will have a World's Fair in Toronto, I just hope it's within my life time. What a party that would be.

[OEincorparated]

Either that or a ton of new developement.

[Looking/Up]

It would be wonderful to have a World's Fair in Toronto. Some amazing structures have been built during previous World Fairs, including the Eiffel Tower and the Ferris Wheel!

[OEincorparated]

Question is do we really need another TV Tower or ferris wheel? I'd rather a truely built up city with a full subway system and multiple CBD's. If a world fair will help in achieving all that, Im be all for it.

[AndrewJM3D]

A city needs to invest in fun things just as much as other items from time to time otherwise nobody wants to live in them. It creates civic pride.

[Taller, Better]

Originally Posted by OEincorparated

Question is do we really need another TV Tower or ferris wheel? I'd rather a truely built up city with a full subway system and multiple CBD's. If a world fair will help in achieving all that, Im be all for it.

Definitely NOT a ferris wheel (or "observation wheel" as they are now euphemistically referred to). They are tacky beyond belief and should be confined to fair grounds.

[Professor X]

Originally Posted by Mollywood

Is there anybody out there, who actually thought the reported cost of the games, was the real cost? If so, they don't read newspapers. EVERY Olympics and Pan-AM Games have had their costs grossly under estimated by the organizing committees. Not only that but much of the costs are hidden in government budgets. The truth is, we never know how much the real cost is because it's kept hidden from the general public. We always find out the costs have gone way up but there are still costs that we never see. The organizers and government both know this. I just wish they would be honest with the public and tell the truth. We should know what we're paying for and what the total cost is. But of course, many people make big bucks from games like these, so it will keep on happening.

I just hope we get some nice public spaces and amenities from all the expenditure. A new streetcar line along Queen's Quay East, would be nice.

It could turn out to be a nice 2 week PARTY! Bring on those free concerts and shows.

The cost for the Olympics are increased by having to cater to the whims of the officials who run it (buying them gifts, making sure that they get first-class airfares, getting their kids/cousins/hangers-on free education and jobs, sending them home newly shod, etc.) Don't believe me? Ask Andrew Jennings (author of The Great Olympic Swindle, Lords Of The Rings, and The New Lords Of The Rings.) Better yet, check out his website: Transparency In Sport Also check out this site as well: Olyblog

It'll probably be the same shenanigans with the Pan-Am Games.

[Mollywood]

Originally Posted by Professor X

The cost for the Olympics are increased by having to cater to the whims of the officials who run it (buying them gifts, making sure that they get first-class airfares, getting their kids/cousins/hangers-on free education and jobs, sending them home newly shod, etc.) Don't believe me? Ask Andrew Jennings (author of The Great Olympic Swindle, Lords Of The Rings, and The New Lords Of The Rings.) Better yet, check out his website: Transparency In Sport Also check out this site as well: Olyblog

It'll probably be the same shenanigans with the Pan-Am Games.

Yeah but that's kind of how the world works. I'm not saying I agree with it, that's just the way it is. We all get scammed in the end.

[Professor X]

^So why keep it going? Why not end it, and then reform it and make it better? The modern Olympic movement is utterly, completely and undeniably dead, and should stay dead until it can be brought back in a better, less corrupt and more honest form.

[current]

National Post article:

It’s Official: Hamilton Council Approves Stadium Plan

Mark Masters January 31, 2011 – 3:28 pm

HAMILTON — It is finally over.

Hamilton city council officially approved a plan to rebuild Ivor Wynne Stadium on Monday after months of oftentimes acrimonious debate.

The vote came one day after the Ontario provincial government agreed to increase its contribution to the project by $22.5-million. The extra money helped bridge a funding gap, which had threatened to derail the plan.

With the budget balanced and the city and the Canadian Football League club in agreement it appears Ivor Wynne Stadium, originally built in 1930 for the British Empire Games, will live on. The north-side stands will be renovated while new seats will be constructed on the south side and behind both end zones.

Some questions still remain including: Where will the Ticats play during the construction period? Will the stadium be able to host a Grey Cup despite only being able to seat, at most, 35,000 fans?

But one thing appears to be certain: the Ticats will not be leaving Hamilton. Team owner Bob Young had said he would move the team if a new stadium was not built.

“We look forward to working with all parties to transform the plan into a facility that will make us all proud, and will serve generations of Hamiltonians,” said Young in a statement. “This process has been spirited and at times very challenging, but while there has seldom been unanimity on what should be done, everyone involved has shared a passion for our community and making it better.

“The Hamilton Tiger-Cats look forward to beginning a new tradition in our historic location.”

Toronto 2015, the Pan-Am Games organizing committee, must still approve the stadium site. The group’s CEO, Ian Troop, attended Sunday’s meeting with the province, city and Ticats and left “with a smile on his face” according to Hamilton-area MPP Ted McMeekin.

“Unless there’s a calamitous event I think we can pop some champagne,” said Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina. “All the hard work is done. It looks like everyone feels like all the boxes are checked off and it’s just a matter now of some bureaucratic paperwork.”

Toronto 2015 had threatened to move the stadium to another municipality and build it on a smaller scale if Hamilton failed to approve a plan by Tuesday. However, it appears the back-up sites – Mississauga and Brampton – are not viable.

The stadium will be used as a soccer venue during the Games.

Last week Brampton staff issued a report saying its city could not approve a stadium plan in time. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion confirmed on Monday that her city would not be submitting a proposal to build a stadium by the deadline.

“We don’t build white elephants in Mississauga and we’re not going to start now,” said McCallion. “We need to know if more funding is available. If we approve a stadium we would be expecting the province to increase its funding. We are not prepared to accept the present funding formula.”

Toronto 2015 is expected to issue a statement about the Hamilton stadium on Tuesday.

A lease deal between the city and Ticats was the last obstacle that needed to be overcome to make the stadium a reality. While council did not approve a complete memorandum of understanding on Monday the two sides have agreed on the key points.

“There are aspects of it that will require more work, but the building blocks, the core foundation of that MOU is in place,” said city manager Chris Murray. “The big-ticket items are covered.”

As part of the proposed deal the Ticats have agreed to pay $450,000 in rent per year for football games at the facility. The team will pay a further $150,000 per year to use the stadium for soccer games. Young hopes to bring a North American Soccer League team to Hamilton.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/...#ixzz1D2i8xD8A

Globe article:
Etobicoke Councillor Puts the Brakes on Pan Am Bike Course
KELLY GRANT
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 7:44PM EST
Last updated Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011 2:01AM EST


Toronto’s deputy mayor has a message for Pan Am Games organizers: Keep those pesky kids and their trick bikes out of my park.

Doug Holyday, the councillor for Ward 3 (Etobicoke Centre), wants Toronto city council to nix a proposed Pan Am Games BMX course in Centennial Park.

The course would likely be used for just a single day of competition in 2015, after which it would remain an unwelcome legacy for the old suburb, he said.

“We want people to come with their families [to Centennial] and be able to sit down and have a picnic. We want to be able to walk around the place without getting hit by a baseball or run over by a bike. And that’s the way the place should be,” Mr. Holyday said, after explaining that Etobicoke’s “forefathers” envisioned Centennial Park as a grand green space like High Park.

“High Park wasn’t [always] the way it is today. They probably logged the darn thing. All the trees have been built up over the years. But no one would ever think of putting this facility in High Park,” Mr. Holyday said.

If Toronto’s municipal government – which still has to consult the community about the project – ultimately rejects the BMX course, the Pan Am organizers will offer the venue to municipalities outside Toronto, said Elissa Freeman, director of communications for Toronto 2015.

Mr. Ford’s executive committee voted against Mr. Holyday on Monday, but Mr. Ford sided with his long-time ally.

“Obviously, he’s done his homework. He says no to it. I support my deputy mayor,” Mr. Ford said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1873776/

Toronto Sun article:
Pan Am Bike Course Survives Challenge
By DON PEAT , City Hall Bureau
Last Updated: January 17, 2011 7:33pm

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday failed to put the brakes on plans for a $1.5 million Pan Am BMX course being built in Etobicoke’s Centennial Park.

A visibly angry Holyday lashed out at Pan Am organizers during Monday’s executive committee meeting for trying to jam the bicycle motocross course into the west-end park.

But he couldn’t convince enough members of the executive committee to vote against the site.

“We have never planned to build a BMX track in Centennial Park or anywhere else, we never put it into our budget,” said Holyday, who noted the city’s share of the project is $700,000. “I think this is an item we can save some money on, we don’t need it in Etobicoke, we don’t need it, as far as I know from our staff reports, at this time anywhere.”

The Etobicoke councillor argued the football field-size facility would destroy green space and should be surrendered to any other city taking part in the Pan Am Games that wants it.

“In Beijing there were 48 people that used the BMX track for the Olympic Games, 48 people for one day and that’s its plan here,” said Holyday, who added that there is only going to be a one-day competition.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/toron.../16923961.html

[AndrewJM3D]

I agree the bmx track should be axed.

[Steeltown]

The BMX track would be perfect for the West Harbour in Hamilton instead of the stadium. Put it next to the velodrome.